Water gauge for auto radiators



Sept. 23, 1924.. v 1,509,304

H. G. M LELLAN WATER GAUGE FOR AUTO RADiAToRs Filed Nov. 27 1922 Fly-1 I INVENTOR 3 1 Harry G. MacLellan' ATTORNEYS.

. nally Patented Sept. 23', 1924.

HARRY GORDON MAGLELLAN,

' WATER GAUGE Application flied November 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hannr G. MAC- LELLAN, a resident of the city of Angola, county of Steuben, and State of Indiana, and a citizen of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVater Gauges for Auto Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water indicators and especially to those used for measuring the depths of liquids in auto radiators. It'

is especially'adaptable to that type of indicators or gauges which are mounted upon the filling tube or spout of the radiator.

It is an object of my invention to provide an indicator disc upon which maybe indicated the rising and falling of a suitable float within the radiator corresponding to the level and movement of the liquid. It is to be understood that by constant evaporation of the liquid, the latter must be often re-filled. To do this it is desirable to hinge the cover mounting the head to the handle cap of the instrument so that the head may be inclined and thus to. open the filler tube for pouring fresh liquid into the radiator without detaching the gauge from the tube. It is an object. of my invention to provide a concealed and disappearing hinge for movably attaching the head to the fixed. part of the tube, so that this hinge will operate efficiently but will not appear exterwhen the instrument is closed.

Another object of myinvention is to rovide a concealed spring latch which will hold the cap coverrigidly closed when the head is in the vertical osition so'that it will not .jar open or ratt e from the motion of the radiator.. I

A further object is to conceal the said hinge and latch upon the inside of the cap so that while positive in their action they do not detract from the artistic appearance of the device when seen from the outside.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the indicator, a part of the cover and related elements being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the instrument in which the head and cover are shown in open osition;

Figure 3 1s a ront elevation of the upper part of the device, parts of the dial being roken away, and

and downwardly directed hub or tube eted at v 1,509,304 PATENT O'F ANGOLA, INDIANA.

FOR AUTO BAIDIATOBS.

1922. Serial No. 603,520.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the arm discs. 1

In the device illustrated 1 designates the dial housing, 2 the barrel or body member upon which the housing member is supported, 3 the float tube secured to an extended art of the housing, 4 the indicating vane which is moved by the rod 5 in a slot 6 in the dial plate. I

The main cylindrical housing part or drum 1 comprises a shell, as disclosed in Fig. 3, there being an inner circular cham her in which the indicator 1 may be seen through the rotecting transparent plates 7 and an encircling chamber 8 which leads from the lower openin 9 to the upper aperture 10, so that steam or other gases trom an overheated radiator may easily escape without clouding the plates 7 within. No further detailed description of the drum will be made in this case, as the claims are not to be directed thereto.

The said drum or a cover member 11 which is hinged at a to the barrel member 2, the parts being correspondingly beveled to fit tightly, and the former provided with an anular over-lapping flange or lip 12 to further secure a tight joint. As the said barrel is to be detachably secured to the tiller flange of an auto radiator, it is evident that the indicator drum together with its supporting parts may readily be removed from or attached to a radiator as a unit. The hinging of the base plate or cover 11 to the barrel, however, provides for swinging the drum an late over to one side, and refilling the radiator down through the barrel 2 without removing the latter from the filler flange.

The plate 11 is provided with an axligliy 0 which the float tube 3 is pivoted at 1 1 for obvious reasons. \Vithin this tube is the float 15 which, is connected with the rod 5 by meanscomprising a flexible and elastic spring 16 and a ball 17. The drum is NV- 18 to flanges on y 11, and the latter as well as its hub 13 1s bored. to permit the connection to loosely pass therethrough.

It is very desirable in these instruments to so mount them that there shall be no rattling of the drum and coveron the barrel and it is almost equally important that no latch be shown on the exterior of the parts; and to this end I have devised an inner latch ill) within the the projecting ture in the wall of the barrel under the edge of the barrel flange, and thus lock the cover closed. iowever, the pin is moved inward against the force of the sprin 21, er movement, a release is mounted said barrel, and almost in alignment 20, the outer end largement 25 thereon, raving a slightly flanged end 26 to prevent the accidental loss thereof. The barrel, wall may be provided with a protuberance on its inner face as at 38 to strengthen the pin and latch carrier.

To elfect the ready automatic latching of t e cover by pressure on the top face thereof, the l of the outerend of the pin 20 at 28- against the bevel edge 29 of A barrel wall, pin inwardluntil the overianging edge or flange 30 is passed, when e spring 21 latches the cover as before explained.

The cover is pivoted to the barrel by a concealed hinge which will now be described he under face 30 1s a perforated ear metal hinge bar 32 is made up at their base orm a U, so

the hinge pin 24 the inner end which, pressing an angular extension 36 whereby it may be attached to the lower face of the cover plate eled ed suitably cut away parts moving tl 18 released. To accomplish the latheated to one .side' as done, the hub that the tube 3 tion though the shown in Fig. 2. As this is 13 swings on the pivot 14 so can remain in a vertical posihub 13 is inclined. The bevge 41 of said tube co -0perates with of the hub to more easily accommodate such movement. In the inclined position, the float 15 remains in the tube, the spring 16 bend quired to permit hinging tube. his open position of the cover the liquid may readily be poured down through the open barrel into the radiator without re- 1e instrument from the filler flange of the radiator.

Vhen the refilling operation is complete, a slight force exerted upon the cover will vertical position, and

it aperture is inclined slightly plane of-the pin h whicl cover of the instrument.

As a further means of ing the passage dial chamber, under conditions of overmotor, a transverse opening 43 intersects the supporting base 11 for the drum 1 just beneath the latter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, this openingintersecting also the vertical slot in which tl d 5 moves. this slot intersects the annular chamber 8, a direct passage is afforded from 43 heupper opening 10. 1 This permits passage of the outer a r .directly other, radiator less before entering the drum head.

e above described construction not only permits the air to pass through said opening 43, but also permits passage of the air into said openings, thence around the drum through the-channel in the wall and through or other-hot vapors from the also pass out into 8 Ill) many 7 over-hanging annular flan e on From the barrel member 2 extends the usual arms 39 for manual operation, but in my device the ends of the arms are provided with flat discs 40 rather than the balls hitherto used on such instruments. These fittings serve to produce a more ornamental effeet that harmonizes with the indicator head here shown, and the combined instrument also harmonizes with the new drum head lights now being used on many cars, in symmetry and arrangement.

While I have here illustrated my hinged instrument on which the improved and concealed latch and hinge are applied, as a water gauge, I desire by no means to limit myself to these particular instruments. Said latch and hinge may be obviously used on other instruments where positiveness of action and quiet movement as well as artistic appearance of the exterior is a requisite and I desire to claim my improvements as herein recited, in their broad application, and not restricted to the particular embodiment here shown.

No particular manner of attaching the instrument to a filler flange is disclosed, as forms of such attachment are known and used; The barrel member here disclosed has a depending flange which may be threaded, if desired, for attaching to the said filler flan e of a radiator; but many other forms will suggest themselves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In combination, a liquid gauge and mountin therefor comprising a flanged bar: rel mem er adapted to be attached to the filler flange of an auto radiator, a cover member for the filling passage carrying the gauge, means within the said cover and barrel members for pivotin one to the other so that the radiator may be filled by tipping the cover and gauge to one side without dismounting them and the pivoting means is wholly concealed when the cover is closed,

and means'within the cover for latching the same in its closed position.

2. In combination, a liquid gauge and mountingtherefor comprising a barrel member adapted to be attac ed to the filler flange of an auto radiator, and having a radially its upper edge, said last-mentioned an e havin an annular beveled edge, a cover %or the fiIling passage carrying the gauge and having an external beveled edge adapted to fit the beveled edge of, the said barrel flange and an over-lapping lip covering the beveled joint between the barrel and cover, means within the said cover and barrel parts for pivoting one to the other so that the radiator may be filled by tipping the cover and gauge to one side without dismounting them, and latching means within the cover for tending to tightly close the said beveled joint and the lip thereover when the cover is closed.

'3. In combination, a liquid gauge and mounting therefor comprising a flanged barrel member adapted to be attached to thefiller flange of an auto radiator, a cover for the filling passage carrying the gauge, means within the said cover and barrel parts for pivoting one to the other so that the radiator may be filled by tipping the cover and gauge to one side without dismounting them and the pivoting means is wholly concealed when the cover is closed, and latching means within the cover and barrel parts comprising a locking bolt, the cover having a radial slot opening outwardly to its edge and below 'the upper surface thereof and receiving the bolt therein, a compression spring in said slot behind the bolt and tending to thrust the boltbeyond the edge of the cover, a releasing bolt seated within an opening through the barrel wall and normally in contact with the end of the locking bolt, whereby the locking bolt may enter said opening to latch the cover in closed position, and inward thrust of the releasing bolt will push back the locking bolt and unlatch the cover;

4. In combination, an indicating instrument comprising an indicating element and a controlling element connected by a flexible member, a mounting mechanism for the instrument comprising an annular member having an inwardly turned flange at its upper end and a cover for said annular member, the said indicating element being mounted on the cover and the controlling element depending from the indicating element within said annular element, an angular shaped hinge attached to the parts of the mounting mechanism within the cover and annular member whereby the angular part of the hinge will encompass the-said flange when the cover is open, and will be wholly concealed when the cover is closed, and an inner concealed latch carried by said cover for latching the same to the annular memher.

5. In combination, a liquid' gauge comprising a dial, a float, and means for indicating on the dial movements of the float, mounting means for the gauge comprising a barrel member adapted to be attached to the filler flange of an auto radiator and 'a cover member carrying the dial, means concealed within the cover and barrel member for pivoting one to the other, so that the cover ma e swung open to permit pouring liqui through the barrel into the radianae in said aperture, whereby the locking bolt may enter said inclined aperture to latch the cover in tightly closed position, and in ward thrust of the releasing bolt will push back the locking bolt and unlatch the cover.

6. In combination, an annular member, a cover, a hinge concealed within the cover and annular member for pivoting one to the other so that the cover may be opened, and means for latching the cover in its'closed position comprising a locking bolt slidable in a radial slot within the cover, a spring normally urging said bolt outwardly in said slot, there being an aperture through the barrel wall slightly inclined from true alinement with said locking bolt, a releasing bolt in said aperture whereby the locking bolt when urged outwardly by the spring enters the inclined wall of the said aperture and tends to tightly close the cover upon the annular member, and inward thrust'of the whereby the U part of an angular extension with means for secur-' the lower face of the cover, the bar will encase the edge of the flange when the cover is swung open, and will be wholly concealed when the cover is closed.

8. A disappearing hinge mechanism for pivoting a part upon a hollow device having an inturned flange, comprising a U- ing the same to member hinged to the barrel and an angular hingeshapedwbar, the end of one of the arms of the U being divided to form s aced ears which have alined openings, an the other arm having a bent extension for securing the hinge U to the said pivoted part, an'

ted to be secured ange, and to fit and a pin seated apertures, whereapertured lug member ada to and beneath the said the slot in the said bar, in the lug member and bar by the U part of the bar will encasethe said flange when the ivoted part is raised, and be whooly concea l is lowered.

9. In combination, a liquid gauge including a drum comprising spaced concentric rings forming therebetween an annular passage, said drum having an upper opening communicating with said passage, a dial within the innermost ring,

mounting means for the gauge comprising a barrel member adapted to be attached to the filler flange of an auto radiator, a cover member and affording a sup orting base for the drum on the cover, a oat within the radiator, the cover member having a vertical aperture therethrough in axial-,alinement with said barrel member and aflording communication between the radiator and said annular passage, a flexible element connecting the' float and the dial whereby they will notbe injured when the cover is opened, there being a transverse opening through said supporting base just beneath the drum and intersecting said vertical aperture, whereby free current of air and other gases is permitted through said openings, aperture and passage to condense the drum and base and thus avoid dimming the dial, and means concealed within said barrel for latchin the cover closed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY GORDON MacLl-ILLAN.

vapor in the.

ed when the pivoted part 

